The Louvre, originally a royal palace but now the world's most famous museum, is a must-visit for anyone with a slight interest in art. Some of the museum's most celebrated works of art include the Mona Lisa and the Venus of Milo.The Louvre Museum is one of the largest and most important museums in the world. It is housed in the expansive Louvre Palace, situated in the 1st arrondissement, at the heart of Paris. After entering the museum through the Louvre Pyramid or via the Carrousel du Louvre, you have access to three large wings: Sully, Richelieu and Denon. The Sully wing is the oldest part of the Louvre. The second floor holds a collection of French paintings, drawings and prints. One of the highlights is the erotic Turkish Bath, painted in the late 18th century by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. The first and ground floors of the Sully wing display works from the enormous collection of antiquities. In the 30 rooms with Egyptian antiquities you find artifacts and sculptures from Ancient Egypt such as the famous Seated Scribe and a colossal statue of Pharaoh Ramesses II. On the ground floor is the statue of Aphrodite, better known as the 'Venus of Milo', one of the highlights of the Louvre's Greek collection. Paintings from the Middle Ages up to the 19th century from across Europe are on the second floor of the Richelieu wing, including many works from master painters such as Rubens and Rembrandt. Some of the most notable works are the Lacemaker from Jan Vermeer and the Virgin of Chancellor Rolin, a 15th century work by the Flemish painter Jan van Eyck. The first floor of the Richelieu wing houses a collection of decorative arts, with objects such as clocks, furniture, china and tapestries. Richelieu Wing On the same floor are the sumptuously decorated Napoleon III Apartments. They give you an idea of what the Louvre interior looked like when it was still in use as a royal palace. The ground and lower ground floor are home to the Louvre's extensive collection of sculptures. They are arranged around two glass covered courtyards: Cour Puget and Cour Marly. The latter houses the Horses of Marly, large marble sculptures created in the 18th century by Guillaume Coustou. Nearby is the Tomb of Philippe Pot, supported by eight Pleurants ('weepers'). Denon Wing The Denon Wing is the most crowded of the three wings of the Louvre Museum; the Mona Lisa, a portrait of a woman by Leonardo da Vinci on the first floor is the biggest crowd puller. There are other masterpieces however, including the Wedding Feast at Cana from Veronese and the Consecration of Emperor Napoleon I by Jacques Louis David. Another star attraction of the museum is the Winged Victory of Samothrace, a Greek marble statue displayed at a prominent spot in the atrium connecting the Denon wing with the Sully wing. The ground floor of the Denon wing houses the museum's large collection of Roman and Etruscan antiquities as well as a collection of sculptures from the Renaissance to the 19th century. Here you find Antonio Canova's marble statue of Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss. Even more famous is Michelangelo's Dying Slave. On the same floor are eight rooms with artifacts from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. Medieval sculptures from Europe are displayed on the lower ground floor of the Denon wing. source: http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/louvre.htm

• published: 18 Jan 2014
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